A somewhat lax though goodhearted boy living in Leena. He lives with his mother and father, Jean and Dave, and his adoring little sister, Shelly. His best friend is the crass Drake, and his not-so-secret admirer is Rita. He constantly falls asleep in class, much to the annoyance of his teacher, Reina. Kai's parents are on friendly terms with Reina and her husband William, the eccentric mayor of Leena.
One day, Reina calls Kai into her office after waking him up during a lesson. Kai nervously sits across from Reina at her desk, expecting to be reprimanded, but is instead assigned with passing out invitations to the formal party being held at the mayoral residence that evening. Surprised and relieved as anything, Kai darts out of Reina's office before she can utter another word, leaving her to sneer playfully at him while resting on her interlaced fingers.
That evening, however, amidst the festivities, Leena is invaded by the bordering nation of Samoon. Fearing that Samoon will institute their accursed rituals of child sacrifice, the adults help several of the children escape, including Kai, Shelly, Drake, and Rita. They urge them to seek help beyond the Leena Valley, and the kids depart in haste. On Mt. Aravoth, they encounter Nimbus, who offers to look after the younger children, and whom Kai recognizes from his dreams. Nimbus also informs Kai that he has a grand destiny and is much more than he seems. Drake calls Nimbus a weirdo, and they depart.
The children's journey takes them beyond Ostros and Kitsune Pass to Felldale, and south past Dama to the Monster Ranch and Forest of Dewdrops. There, they meet Angel in her mansion, and that concludes their arc.
Shelly
Kai's little sister. The intolerant Kai is aggravated by Shelly clinging to him, but when she goes missing, he desperately searches for her himself. When Kai finds Shelly, he learns that she ran away because he hurt her feelings. From this point on, Kai begins to appreciate Shelly's adoration rather than bemoaning it.
Shelly has the ability to see auras, unbeknownst to her family and friends. Hence, she has the proclivity to instantly like or not like certain people upon meeting them, baffling others who can't see what she sees.
Drake
Kai's best friend. Crass and vulgar, he has no other friends besides Kai, and to some extent, Kai's little sister Shelly. Rita can't stand him, though he is slightly better tolerated by Rita's sweet-natured sister, Mila. He lives with his glamorous aunt, Leila. He always has something snide to say about everyone and everything the children encounter on their journey, filling the role as this installment's "comic relief" character, similar to Boaz in E1, Cloe in E2, and Morey in E3.
Rita
Mila's sister, the daughter of Mayor William and the schoolteacher, Reina. She has a crush on Kai, and he is annoyed by her constantly following him around. She fills the role of the perennial optimist, overflowing with a constant endearing giddiness, in part balancing out Drake's cynical sarcasm. Rita has a pensive side as well, especially when considering the needs of her disabled sister, whom she loves very dearly.
Mila
A daughter of William and Reina, and Rita's sister. She suffered a T-6 spinal cord injury when a burglar shot her in the back, confining her to a wheelchair. A sweet girl of radiant vitality, she loves to play the piano. Luminaya is moved by Mila's situation and endeavors to find a cure for her, that cure being his own life energy, which he sacrifices for her. Mila's name appropriately means "miracle". In E1, Mila is mentioned as having been Luminaya's spouse, and therefore the great-grandmother of Leonardo the Great.
Ace
The owner of a casino in Dama which he inherited from his parents, who were killed by gangsters. He's known as "Daddy Longlegs" on the dance floor. When he meets Drake's aunt, Leila, the two hit it off rather well, but Drake is too immature to appreciate it... and too silly to realize that Ace's wealth would be his, too, if Ace and Leila made it together.
Angel
Despite her scary appearance, Angel is not evil, but very lonely. While her ghoulish family causes trouble throughout the world, she is left alone at their mansion until her birthday, when they return for a reunion. This just so happens to be the night Kai stumbles in, and his friends must save him.
Angel's only friend is Willy the Wisp. As for Angel herself, she is the daughter of Nyx, Elemental Guardian of Darkness, though she doesn't know it. Only when her father, or the one whom she thought was her father, Count Rosier, reveals to her upon his defeat that her real father was human and her mother was Nyx, does she learn the truth. Rosier killed Angel's biological father and kidnapped her as ransom for Nyx's affections. For the first time, Angel leaves the mansion in search of her mother.
Quirien
Captain of the guard in Velocia, a kingdom set high in the Mesomian mountain peaks. The knights of Velocia ride upon great birds known as Velocia Raptors. Out on a routine patrol, Quirien was horrified when she returned to see the kingdom under attack, and the Velocia Raptors dead. Informed that their food had been poisoned, Quirien and her raptor desperately attempt to fend off the opposing force, but are struck down.
Waking up with her bird in the valley below, Quirien trudges onward, brooding the fall of her country. She enters the village where she grew up, remembering an old friend she used to have. Before Quirien departed for Velocia, she promised her friend that she would return someday with a Velocia Raptor, and the two would fly away to be happy always. When Quirien arrives at the home of this friend, she is startled to discover that she is now a wife and mother. Quirien's friend disavows her and their former promise, and Quirien dashes off in tears. She attempts to end her own life by jumping from a cliff, but is saved by her Velocia Raptor. Realizing that her life still holds value, she leaves to make a new start, far from her past heartache.
Quirien is an ancestor of Gareth, for whom Mt. Gareth was named, and is in turn the ancestor of Romeo and Lance in E1 and E2, respectively. Quirien, Gareth, and Lance all have names that allude to polearms.
Isidora
Isidora, one of the last of a race called the Draconians, people who appear human but have the ability to transform into dragons. The Draconians were believed to be followers of the devil and nearly hunted into extinction. But in fact, they are divinely appointed custodians of the Flames of Hope, keys to the great door at the Shrine of Candlelight... behind which is rumored to be one of the Seven Trumpets that will herald the end of the world.
Quirien inadvertently witnesses Isidora as a dragon while in a forest. She reverts to human form then turns to see Quirien, who's frightened. Revealing her gentle nature, Isidora begs Quirien not to tell anyone, and Quirien makes it clear that she bears no ill will. Isidora takes to Quirien's Velocia Raptor, and the two become fast friends.
Unfortunately, Isidora is outed and nearly burned at the stake, but Quirien fends off the angry mob and helps Isidora escape her village. Isidora laments her new status as a fugitive, and Quirien confides in her per her own experience, saying she also has no home. Comforted, the two journey on in search of new meaning in their lives.
A veiled subplot heavily implies that Isidora is an ancestor of Emperor Taro in E1, explaining his transformation into a dragon; he secretly bears Draconian blood.
Colleen
Daughter of the renowned Mannaquian general, Daigo McCoy. She was a tomboy growing up and endured bullying from her peers, though her father always encouraged her to be herself. She aspired to follow in his footsteps and succeeded his position after he passed. Now serving as commander-in-chief, she vehemently opposes Samoon and the ideals of the Illumination, despite their relative popularity throughout Mesomia. Kai and friends seek her aid, as McCoy hailed from Leena and was Drake's personal hero. Drake is shocked to discover this new "General McCoy" is actually a woman... but is too stubborn to learn any meaningful lessons from it.
Colleen possesses the Natural Gift of Thunder, giving her lightning powers and the ability to fly via manipulation of electromagnetism. Because of their common abilities of flight, Quirien (with her Velocia Raptor), Isidora (in dragon form), and Colleen form something of a triad and develop a deep friendship as a result.
Colleen's attitude can perhaps be summed up thus: "I'll show you illumination!"
Ezra
Acolyte to Father Isaac, the Archbishop of Cana. One day, as his death drew near, Father Isaac called both Ezra and the Reverend Luther to himself. To Luther's shock, he conferred his authority to Ezra, relegating only the administration of foreign affairs to Luther, who went insane with jealousy. Staging a horrific disaster by collapsing the holy Tower of Silence upon the village of Cana, apparently killing everyone but Ezra, Luther had his revenge. He abducted Ezra's sister Sybil in the wake of the tragedy, taking her with his cult to the forsaken Tower of Judas.
When he came to, Ezra thought he was the only survivor and, heartbroken, started down the mountain path for the nearest village... which happened to be Nain, where he would meet Astor.
Astor
A hard-working youth struggling to rebuild the village of Nain after it was devastated by a rockslide. Early on in his journey, Ezra meets Astor and learns that he has a brother, Devon, who left Nain after their mother died to become a monk. Astor is bitter about it, believing it to be nothing more than an excuse for Devon to escape reality. Intrigued, Ezra wishes to learn more about the strained relationship between the two brothers...
Devon
Astor's brother, who left the village of Nain when their mother died to become a monk. Astor was convinced that Devon just couldn't deal with reality and wished to escape it, while Devon insists otherwise. His wake-up call comes when Astor makes him realize he isn't helping anyone, and he decides to go with Ezra and Astor on their journey to save Ezra's sister, Sybil, from the sinister Reverend Luther.
Later in the story, after the Illumination takes over, Devon returns to the monastery and discovers, to his horror, that the Illumination are using it as a center for granting "liberation" to people, allegedly sending their souls to eternal paradise in the great beyond. He sees through their deception, however, broadcasting his siddhi of clairaudience to enable the crowd to hear the souls of the damned in Hell, where the Illumination are actually sending them as part of their pact to gain power. Devon accuses the Illumination of profaning a divine institution, and not only that, but committing blasphemy against the Cycle of Dharma itself by denying the damned souls their right to psychospiritual evolution via reincarnation.
In his wrath, Devon threatens to expel his Elemental Essence (see a similar scene with Luna and Ryota in E1), which will bring down the temple and kill him in the process. Astor begs him not to, but Devon says this is his way of making up for all those years of escapism, and finally doing something for the world. Ezra takes Astor by force and escapes the building, watching as it collapses with Devon (and several members of the Illumination) still inside.
Astor weeps bitterly on the grounds of the monastery for some time, before getting up and coldly trudging on with the others.
Sybil
Ezra's sister, abducted by the Reverend Luther and held hostage in the Tower of Judas. A member of Luther's all-female congregation, she is a sweet girl with the spiritual gift of glossolalia, and serves as a prophetess. The sinister Luther intends to make her his undead bride, and she is saved when Ezra, Devon, and Astor storm the tower. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for her sisters in faith, who mindlessly sacrificed themselves to empower Luther, having been brainwashed by him, as Sybil also was. With Luther's defeat, she is free from his control and joins Ezra in his quest to thwart the Illumination's insidious scheme.
Yeika
The sister of Cugei, nature-loving Yeika's story begins as she, Cugei, and Luminaya are playing in the forest outside their village on Mt. Ostrica. They encounter two interlopers, Asur and Duke, who are there to investigate the divine power that rests upon the summit. The children threaten to tell the elders, Ida and Pingala, but before they can, Asur orders Duke to send them away. Duke casts a spell that warps space and sends the children far off, and separated from each other.
Through many trials and tribulations, they come together again with all the others, and face the Illumination. King Remus, one of its high priests, captures Yeika and binds her upon his sacrificial altar. The others watch in horror as he lights the fire, but then something miraculous happens... the medallion on Yeika's belt suddenly shines with a brilliant light, blinding even Remus. Yeika undergoes divine transfiguration and assumes Entheos, awakening in her true identity as a Saint, an ordained savior of humanity, and patron messiah of the Virtue of Purity; opposing all those who lust for power and perish in their corruption.
Alight with Entheos, Yeika easily defeats Remus and saves her friends, but then loses consciousness as the presence withdraws within her. She awakes at the Shrine of Candlelight and is told of her destiny by the Shakti Sisters. Her medallion is, in actuality, the Seal of the Sparrow; and she must find the seven Flames of Hope (which are the seven Spirits of God) to light the menorah which seals the great door, in order to obtain the Trumpet of the Panther.
Yeika is unique as a Saint because she has no tangible counterpart; her "Beloved" is Nature itself, in keeping with the "natural" theme of the story. In a sense, she could therefore be viewed as a representation of asexuality within the series, and this is indeed in line with her Virtue of Purity (Chastity in the Catholic tradition). Per my inclusive ethos, other Saints in other installments cover different areas of the spectrum, as well. As Luminaya humorously observes, "So when she hugs trees, she's bonding with her Beloved?" To which the others express astonishment at the fact that Yeika actually hugs trees...
Luminaya
A student of Anahata healing and friend of Yeika and Cugei. When he meets Mila, the wheelchair-bound daughter of Leena's Mayor William and Lady Reina, he is filled with compassion and wishes to help her. Scouring the ancient tomes, he comes across a dangerous spell that allows him to sacrifice his own vitality to cure Mila's ailment. His hair then turns white and he loses the pigment in his eyes, turning them red... but as far as he's concerned, it's a small price to pay for Mila's freedom.
Cugei teases Luminaya about his attraction to Mila, but Luminaya insists he's motivated purely by compassion. Cugei is not convinced...
Cugei
Yeika's brother, a brooding young man aligned with the powers of darkness. He is both a friend and rival to the aspiring healer, Luminaya. In Ostrican tradition, Light and Darkness are not inherently fixed in their roles of "good" and "evil," but some still hold superstitious prejudice against those such as Cugei, who have embraced the dark side.
When Cugei collapses in the snowy wastes of Arafel, he is found and nursed back to health by Nina. The two develop a mutual attraction and later have a child - Boaz, one of the main characters in E1. Unfortunately, Cugei's pursuit of dark power warps and twists him beyond reason, breaking Nina's heart and destroying the happy family they could have been. Nina turns to Luminaya in hopes to save Cugei, and Cugei, in his paranoia, misconstrues this as a sign of hidden affections, developing a fiery hatred for both Luminaya and Nina.
Nina
A peasant of Arafel affected by albinism, giving her snow-white skin and hair, and crimson red eyes. She has no friends but her little white cat, Bianca, as other children either tease her or believe her to be cursed and are therefore afraid of her. Nina can appear pretty imposing due to her condition, but beneath that icy exterior lies a heart of exceptional warmth. She expresses this by helping Cugei when she finds him on the outskirts of Arafel while playing in the snow with Bianca.
She later confides in Cugei that her cold persona is a barrier to protect herself from being hurt by others, to which Cugei can relate. They grow closer after this event. Nina also shows her tenderness in the care of her baby boy, Boaz, and is devastated when Cugei threatens to kill him as revenge for Nina's perceived betrayal (which is only a delusion owed to Cugei losing his mind in dark pursuits). Cugei seals both Nina and Boaz in perpetual darkness, to be discovered by the heroes in E1.
Duke
A monocled sorcerer employed by the royal house of Arafel to oversee Prince Asur's court affairs. The common people refer to him as "Duke Malevolent," ignorant of his actual, sensitive nature. He and Asur use their formal affiliation as a guise for their secret romance. Duke is pained to see Asur losing more and more of himself, eventually reaching out to his former enemies for help.
In the end, Asur has completely lost himself, and kills even Duke, who breathes his last while looking pleadingly into Asur's eyes. For but one moment, Asur's sanity seems to return as he sheds a tear for the man he once loved... then loses himself all over again in that painful rage.
Asur
The Prince of Arafel, and the primary antagonist of E4. He desires the power at the summit of the sacred Mt. Ostrica, intending to use the mythical sword Christopher, forged from pure Vril, to draw the involution of Divinity to himself and attain godhood. He is insane, his mind having been shattered by the powerful energies he prematurely tapped into while attempting forbidden meditative disciplines.
When his mind began unraveling, Asur lost his sense of self, going berserk whenever he saw his reflection in a mirror. On one occasion, he punched the mirror and shattered it. Looking at his bloody hand, he realized he didn't feel any pain, and that was truly the beginning of Asur's descent into utter madness. Through his occult practice, he has obtained the Siddhi of Dominion (also known as the dominion anointing), and holds the power of life and death in his words. Once, when the armies of Vilon stood ready to take Arafel, Asur went out before them alone, raising his hands over the legion and calmly exhaling. The army of thousands immediately fell dead at his feet.
Asur's most trusted friend is a young man named Duke, with whom he's discreetly involved. But as Asur descends further into insanity, their relationship dissolves, and Duke eventually seeks help from the heroes in order to save the one he loves.
Madame Lucille
Head of the Illumination. She appears elegant and saintly, when in fact she is devoid of emotional warmth altogether. Even so, she puts on her serene demeanor, making her encounters with the cast all the creepier. In particular, she paralyzes Astor with her hypnotic gaze, and slowly struts toward him with intent to take his soul. Just as the terrified Astor is about to lose himself for all eternity, Devon charges in and stuns Lucille momentarily, allowing the brothers to escape.
Lucille is defeated by Yeika at her own palace after transforming into a gargantuan beast. Empowered by every lost soul the Illumination robbed from those it swindled, Lucille taunts that her "belly has grown fat with the souls of the damned," triggering Yeika to assume Entheos and destroy her. The souls are set free upon her defeat, and two of them, Yeika's old friends Dagne and Azarel, offer themselves to her, saying it's the only way to stop Asur and the Illumination. Yeika has a decision to make...
The Reverend Luther
One of the main antagonists of E4. He goes under the guise of being Father Isaac's minister of foreign affairs, when in reality he is a power-hungry psychopath without regard for human life nor the sanctity of the human soul. In secret, he has mastered the dark art of necromancy, and uses it to his advantage when confronted by Ezra, Devon, and Astor in the Tower of Judas.
Cackling, Luther controls the body of Isaac to Ezra's horror. As if that's not enough, he then speaks out in the voice of Hannah, a girl whom Ezra loved, implying that he has imprisoned her soul. As Ezra breaks down, Devon tells him to invoke the Power of Light within him, as he was taught at the monastery, and Ezra looses a beam of light that cuts straight through Luther. Conjuring the spirits of his followers who sacrificed themselves to him, Luther undergoes a monstrous transformation and the battle continues.
At the bleakest moment, Luther suddenly falters, and Hannah's voice rings out from his body, speaking to Ezra. She tells him that Luther is of the Illumination, and as evil as he is, the least of them all. He was taught their techniques, but had not the discipline to master them, being overpowered by the very souls he took. Hannah implores Ezra to go out into the world, root out the Illumination, and prevent a terrible catastrophe.
Luther is incinerated in a column of light, Sybil is free from his control, and the four of them leave the Tower of Judas to travel the world and inquire of the Illumination, hoping to meet others with the same knowledge and join together in their cause.